Started BAD...Ended Great!: Weekend Round-Up & Bear Creek Trail 1/2 Marathon Race Report

Yes, I know that is a long title!  But bare with me peeps, I had one crazy weekend!  Grab a  cup of coffee...this is going to be a long one!

It all started Friday when I went home from work and was heading out for a run.  I was already kind-of dreading this run since it was quite warm out to begin with.  And although I have been taking the week as it goes, I was going to stick with my usual 7 I like to run on Fridays.  I headed out the door and down my regular route (which is driving me crazy with boredom!).  I was about 1/4 mile into my run, just running along, trying to take my mind of the oppressive heat and all of a sudden, BAM!  A P.O.S (piece of shit) car pulls up along side of me and slams an EGG at my stomach!  WTF?  I got EGGED!  I couldn't believe it!  It was an old P.O.S. late 70's primer panted Camero with three kids in the car!  They sped off just as fast as they came up on me!  I was shocked!  I wanted to cry!  I was mad, no wait, furious!  I couldn't believe what had just happened!  I stood there for a second and collected myself and then right away called Ari.  He told me to call the cops.  So right away I did.  I gave them a description as best as I could and then ran home.  The egg shells and the close proximity along with their speed really did a number on where they hit me.  I had egg oozing down my shorts, in my iFitness belt and I was just covered.  It stung, too.  The egg shells cut up my stomach pretty good.  I still have scabbed over cuts on my stomach and it's Monday!  I decided I wasn't going to let those savage SOB's ruin me so I changed my shorts and collected myself and went out to finish my run.

At first I was a little nervous.  Would they try it again?  Did I have the mental capacity to keep going?  I wasn't sure so I just put my head down and ran.  Within about 5 mins I immediately saw about 5 cop cars driving all over my neighborhood.  I live off a relatively busy street, six lanes - 3 in each direction.  But it is still residential.  They were driving slow and looking all around.  A few eyed me and I waved and kept running.  My legs and heart were done.  I didn't want to run - I was scared.  Even though I saw the cops out, I wasn't sure what to make of it all.  So I turned around and made it 5 miles for the day.  On my way home, a ghetto-bird, aka cop helicopter was also circling the neighborhood.  Are you kidding me?  For a car full of teenage punks out egging runners?  At least they were on it and I was glad my tax dollars were at work.  By the time I got home, I was deflated.  I still couldn't believe what had happened. (side note: I don't know if they ever caught the punks, but after about an hour and by the time I got home, the ghetto bird was gone and I'm pretty sure the cops had left.  I just hope they got picked up quick!)

So, for all of you keeping count - I have had some pretty crappy run-ins go down my regular running route.  Remember when I got hit last year?  Or when I saw the guy get hit by a car on a bike? Or how about just a few weeks ago when I saw a poor dog get hit by a car? NOW THIS?  Are you kidding me?  I am jinxed I tell you, jinxed!  I know as runners we put ourselves out there every time we lace up and hit the road.  But man, I have been dealt a pretty crappy handful of shit.  Then yesterday, on my recovery run, I saw a pair of men's underwear with skid marks!  Really?  You threw your dirty underwear out the window?  AND! AND!  I saw not one, but TWO empty egg carton boxes while running!  Seems like they chucked the boxes on the street, too!

Anywhoo, I had to gather myself that evening because I had a race in the morning!  My stomach all week has been bad!  Like, I have to go to the bathroom A LOT!  I was worried how it would hold up the next day.  But I had my usual pre-race Indian food dinner and went to bed hoping for the best.  

I was actually nervous for this race.  I wanted to run it, but I was afraid to run it alone.  Trail runs, especially the half distance, can be tough physically and mentally.  I was afraid I would be out there all alone, lost, stuck with no one around.  Or better yet, I would get lost!  And with my bad running ju-ju right now, the odds were not in my favor.

I had read on RBR's blog that she was also running this.  But we hadn't made any plans to really meet up and we had never met in person before.  She is one cool chic, as I knew from her blog, but wasn't too sure if she would want to hang with another blogger on her race.  When I got up in the morning I was thinking I would possibly even drop to the 10K.  But as luck would have it, as they had us pull up on the grass field, guess who pulls up right along side of me? RBR!  We looked at each other and said, "hey, I know you!!!"  It was perfect!  Finally, the running gods were smiling on me!

Right away we jumped out of the car and started talking.  She is one of the coolest peeps to hang with, just like she comes across on her blog.  We decided to head up to packet pick-up together.  When we got there, I was still thinking I might do the 10K, but when she got her 1/2 bib, I stuck with it and I asked her if she wanted some company.  She laughed!  She couldn't believe my speedy self wanted to run with her!  She often talks on her blog of how long it takes her to run, but it didn't matter to me!  The company would be great!  Plus, it would be a warm day and I had no expectations other than to have fun!  And I knew that would happen hanging/running with her!

Back at our cars together, we got body-glided up, grabbed our water bottles and headed to the start line together.  It was a pretty small field of peeps for each race.  I wouldn't say more than a couple hundred.  She kept asking me if I was sure I wanted to run with her!  I had to laugh because between my stomach and my knees, I wasn't sure she wanted to run with me!  As soon as the gun went off though, we were running together.  I remembered part of this course from back when I ran it in January, and knew right away you are hit within a quarter mile a big giant hill.  I was thinking that my strategy for the day would be run everything else and walk the hills.  So that is exactly what we did.  Many people had the same idea.  It was already warm out and there was no need to expend any extra energy.

Right from the start we were chatting it up- getting to know one another better and just enjoying the beautiful course.  It's set in a little area in the East Bay called Orinda and Martinez, and it looks out all across the bay.  The views are just awesome.  There was many times during the day when we would look at each other and just go, "man, we are some lucky bitches to be hanging out here!"  BTW, this is a tough course, too!  With 3,030 feet of elevation change!  We would go up hills for what felt like forever only to be greeted with only a short distance of flat and then ANOTHER HILL!  The down hills felt far and few between!  We just kept plugging along, waiting for the next aid station and enjoying ourselves.  I knew that between miles 6-8 there was a massive climb.  AND THERE WAS!  It just kept going, and going, and going.  And when we got to the top, about 1/4 ahead of us, there was more hills!  The saying, "what comes up, must come down," did not apply in this race!!!

Around mile 10 we came across a cow who had her eye on me!  With all my bad running ju-ju right now, I did not feel comfortable with this cow eyeing me!  I swear she was coming after me, but thankfully RBR is a biology teacher/vet peep and reassured me she wanted nothing to do with me.  But I swear to you, she had the evil eye looking at me.  The one bad thing about this course is that there is cow and horse poop EVERYWHERE!  And where there is poop, there are flies!  I was batting off the files constantly.  I really tried not to complain about this, but my city-girl ass was not enjoying it.  RBR on the other hand was taking it all cool as a cucumber.
**Go on over to RBR's blog and check out all her pics, including the one of my killer cow!

The final 1.5 miles of the run is on a single track that is just breath taking.  It was a bit cooler in there than outside on the regular course where we were pretty much in direct sun the whole time!  It still had some crazy climbs, and some stairs that went forever!  

We finished together in true buddy form, crossing the finishing mat together hands in the air!  I had so much fun with Stacey out there!  And even though the heat, the climbs and the cow poop and files were a little much to deal with, never did I feel like I didn't want to be out there.  We laughed, we cried, we made it through a pretty dang hard course together and I can't wait to do it again together!  Thanks Stacey for putting up with me for 3 hours and 27 mins!  I had so much fun!

The group who puts on the race, Brazen Racing, is just awesome.  They are so well organized, make you feel like a rockstar and even give you some pretty cool schwag! 

The nice technical shirt and medal they gave out- the medal is huge!

Race Stats:
13.33 miles
3:27:02 - 15:31/mi pace
I don't even care what place :)
So, as awful as my weekend started, it finished up pretty damn awesome.  Yesterday, Sunday, I got in a HOT recovery run and then took the day to lay by the pool at my parents house.  My quads and butt were a bit sore from the race the day before, but the run really helped me loosen up.  It is HOT here in the Bay!  Already this morning on my way into work, at 6:20 am, my car said it was 65 out already!  It's going to be a rough day! I finished up my week of "going with the flow" with 38 miles - not too shabby with just going by feel.  I had wanted to keep a good base during the week and I think I accomplished that :)

Congrats to all the racers this weekend at IronMan CDL and Seattle Rock N' Roll!  You all did fabulous!  And thanks again to RBR, I had a blast with ya sista!
I'm off to catch up with you all!
Happy Monday and Happy Running peeps!